Preparing for the Christmas party

Whilst fun and festive, as the alcohol flows, inhibitions fall and the risk of someone doing or saying something inappropriate increases.

From embarrassing photos posted on social media to drunken fights and allegations of sexual harassment, the office Christmas party presents a myriad of HR challenges.

To make sure everything goes smoothly, you should be clear about your behaviour expectations.

The new duties to prevent sexual harassment make this even more important this year, so what should employers be thinking about pre-Christmas do?

Set behavioural expectations ahead of the party.

Send out an email or memo pre-event to set out your expectations on professional behaviour and conduct, and remind staff that whilst this is a social “do”, it is a company event and your usual standards of workplace behaviour apply.

Employees should also be reminded of how they can report sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour under the relevant policies to ensure that if organisational rules are broken, or a grievance with the organisation itself arises, the affected employee knows how to raise this.

You might want to consider designating a senior person to limit their alcohol intake at the event to have someone fairly compos mentis throughout the occasion and to help with any overindulgence and behaviour issues.

Whilst their role is not to be the “fun police”, they can play an important role in maintaining behavioural standards.

Support staff in making travel plans for when the party ends, reducing the risks of employees getting carried away outside of the event.

A reminder of your bullying and harassment and social media policies is essential, and to prevent other issues, make sure that you consider all your responsibilities to your staff.

It’s important to ensure the event is inclusive to all, so should your event centre entirely on alcohol?

Whilst many of us like a festive tipple, be sure to provide non-alcoholic drinks, plenty of water and menu options that cater to all dietary requirements.

Inclusivity doesn’t stop at food and drinks either.

Be sure to invite all staff members, even the ones who are absent due to long-term sickness, maternity leave, etc.

No one wants to feel like they’ve been sidelined or forgotten, especially during the holiday season!

But remember, HR is about striking a balance.

We don’t want to be fully “Baa humbug”!

We want our teams to enjoy the festive spirit during December whilst maintaining that professionalism.

We can only do that with clear communication of standards and expectations.

And should unacceptable behaviour occur, appropriate action should be taken following a full investigation.

This includes, if appropriate, disciplinary action.

Employees who have experienced sexual harassment should be offered support, such as by signposting them to any Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that’s in place.

Ask us to review your bullying, harassment and social media policies before invitations go out. Contact our team.